How to Create a Simple DOCX File Using Apache POI in Java

How can I create a simple docx file with Apache POI?

import org.apache.poi.xwpf.usermodel.XWPFDocument;
import org.apache.poi.xwpf.usermodel.XWPFParagraph;
import org.apache.poi.xwpf.usermodel.XWPFRun;

import java.io.FileOutputStream;
import java.io.IOException;

Creating a DOCX file in Java can be seamlessly done using the Apache POI library, which provides support for a wide range of document formats, including Microsoft Word. In this guide, we'll walk you through the steps to create a simple DOCX file with text content using Apache POI.

public class CreateDocx {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        XWPFDocument document = new XWPFDocument();
        XWPFParagraph paragraph = document.createParagraph();
        XWPFRun run = paragraph.createRun();
        run.setText("Hello World! This is a simple DOCX file created with Apache POI.");

        try (FileOutputStream out = new FileOutputStream("SimpleDoc.docx")) {
            document.write(out);
            System.out.println("DOCX file created successfully!");
        } catch (IOException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        } finally {
            // Closing resources if needed
            try {
                document.close();
            } catch (IOException e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
            }
        }
    }
}

Causes

• Not having the Apache POI library added to your project.
• Incorrect usage of file output streams.

Solutions

• Make sure to include the Apache POI dependencies in your project.
• Always close the FileOutputStream in a finally block or use a try-with-resources statement.

Mistake: Forgetting to include Apache POI libraries in your project.

Solution: Ensure that Apache POI and its dependencies are included in your build configuration (e.g., Maven, Gradle).

Mistake: Not properly closing file streams, leading to resource leaks.

Solution: Use try-with-resources or ensure streams are closed in a finally block.